LSU grad creates buzz with CBD oil – and it’s flying off shelves

Attorney General Brad Schimel on the Wisconsin Department of Justice and Wisconsin Statewide Intelligence Center’s advisory for law enforcement in regards to the legality of producing and selling hemp CBD oil in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Eye

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Brittani Pitre recently started carrying a line of CBD products at her spa, O2 Face and Body.(Photo: Layni Menard/Special to The Advertiser)Buy Photo

Brittani Pitre, 34, doesn’t have a lot of down time in her very busy life.

The LSU graduate is a wife, mother of two and small business owner in Lafayette.

She’s been working in overdrive since 2002, after relocating from Shreveport to Baton Rouge, where she got her marketing degree, before settling in Cajun Country.

There’s never a dull moment for this self-proclaimed perfectionist – but¬†¬†Brittani finds beauty in the chaos.¬†

“Ever since I was young,” she says, “I’ve always loved beauty. I always used lotions and potions and everything I could get my hands on. I knew that beauty was going to be the route I wanted to take, and it all just fell into place.”

Brittani owns O2 Face & Body in River Ranch, a spa that offers various services including lash extensions, facials and massages.¬†

She launched the business out of her home in 2008, and after years of taking “baby steps,” Brittani grew her client base to the point of getting a storefront. In 2014, she made her most recent move to River Ranch.

Babies and balance

Shortly thereafter, she and her husband, Jean, learned they were expecting a baby. In 2015, Brittani gave birth to her first child, Shea. They now have a son, Parrish, as well.

It was hard for her to leave her daughter, but being a stay-at-home mom wasn’t Brittani’s thing. Thanks to a very supportive staff, loving husband and strong faith, however, she was able to find balance between “raising” her business and new baby.¬†

But as her list of demands grew, it wasn’t always easy to find time for herself – something she prides her business on allowing other women to do.

“I think it’s so important,” Brittani says of making self-care a priority. “We definitely give ourselves to our work environment, our kids, our spouses. A lot of women don’t take that little bit of time to give themselves that boost … and you get into a situation where you feel drained. Women who have gone through divorce, financial struggles, loss, things in the oil field … they still come in, and it gives them that little bit of happiness.”

Branching out

Since Brittani sells “wellness” for a living, she is always looking to broaden her services and product line.¬†

Brittani Pitre recently started carrying a line of CBD products at her spa, O2 Face and Body.¬†(Photo: Shari Puterman)

Last summer, there was an opportunity – so, in typical fashion, she seized it.

In August, after some initial hesitation and extensive research, Brittani got her first shipment from Plus CBD Oil, a company that carries a variety of products made from cannabidiol, a¬†compound found in¬†¬†marijuana plants that can¬†relieve¬†pain, reduce¬†anxiety, and¬†help¬†sleep, among other things.¬†

With the medical marijuana craze creating such a buzz, so to speak, Brittani was hearing a lot of positive testimony¬†from people who used CBD products to get relief from various ailments.

Since she is in the business of helping people – physically, mentally and aesthetically – ¬†Brittani was intrigued, but skeptical at first.

“I was scared to bring it on because I wasn’t educated enough,” she explains. “Like, ‘are the cops going to bust down my door?’ But the more I got educated, the more I was blown away. It’s completely legal, and can offer so many benefits for so many different people.”

Since getting her first shipment, it’s been flying off the shelves.¬†

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CBD bath bombs¬†(Photo: Layni Menard/Special to The Advertiser)

“I’ve had to reorder four times,” she says. “Once you understand the benefits, you have no more hesitation. I didn’t want people with closed minds – like me, initially – to jump to conclusions. But, ironically, those are the people buying it now. Shame on me for prejudging how¬†people would judge me. It really comes down to just helping people.”

“And people with issues are seeing results,” she says. “I can’t diagnose, promise or make guarantees to anyone about benefits, but people are sleeping better, calming¬† their anxiety – it’s been pretty amazing to see people come back after buying it, and telling me it’s helping them, it’s doing something.”

Brittani recently introduced the option of adding CBD oil to her massage packages at the spa – and¬†she’s excited to get feedback.

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Brittani Pitre recently started carrying a line of CBD products at her spa, O2 Face and Body.¬†(Photo: Layni Menard/Special to The Advertiser)

“This is an extension of what I want to give people,” she explains. “It’s helping people’s quality of life – that’s why I established the business in the first place, to truly help people. I know the painkiller epidemic is crazy – if this can in any way deter people, in a more natural way, to feel better, I am all for it. Who doesn’t want to be a part of that?”

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